Method of soldering armature-leads to commutator-bars.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

J. BEECH. v G ARMATURE LEADS TO OOMMUTATOR BARS ME-THOD OF SOLDERINAPPLICATION I ILED OCT. 22, 1902.

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UNITED STAT S Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT Orrrcn.

JACOB BEECH, OF IVILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO IVESTING- HOUSEELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF SOLDERING ARMATURE-LEADS TO COMMUTATOR-BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,472, dated August16, 1904.

Application filed October 22, 1902. Serial No. 128,360. (No model.)

To all 1072,0711. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB BEECH, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of I/Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of 5Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods ofSoldering Armature-Leads to Commutator-Bars, of which. the following isa specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of IQ electric generators andmotors, and particularly to that portion of the manufacture whichconsists in soldering the armature-leads to the necks of thecommutator-bars.

The object of my invention is to provide a method which may be easilypracticed and which shall effect a considerable economy in time, labor,and materials and also insure a product which shall be moresatisfactory. and desirable than has been possible by the methodsheretofore employed.

Suitable apparatus for practicing my inventron is shown in theaccompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a view partially in side elevation and partially insection, of an armature and its commutator in position for applyingsolder to the assembled armature-leads and commutator-necks andapparatus for applying the solder thereto; and Fig. 2 is an endelevation of a portion of an open-neck commutat-or and certain deviceswhich are employed in connection therewith in practicing my method.

My invention is not limited to the use of any specific apparatus,thatshown being, how ever, such as I have found satisfactory in practice.

In describing my method I shall for convenience refer to the apparatusillustrated as 4 if its use were intimately connected with the method;but it will of course be understood that any operative means forapplying molten solder to all of the combined armature-leads andcommutator-necks simultaneously may be employed.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, which will now bedescribed, comprises a frame, here shown as having two concentriccylindrical shells 1 and 2, which rest upon a suitable floor or base 3and which are con- 5 nected at their upper ends by a web 1 of such formas to provide an annular basin 5, the outer edge of which isconsiderably higher than the inner edge. The two shells 1 and 2 and theweb 4 are shown as integral parts of a single casting; but thisconstruction is obviously not vitally essential; The shell 2 is shown asnearly surrounded by a casing 6, and between the two shells 1 and 2 islocated a gas-burner 7, the purpose of which will be readily understood,but which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to.

The inner wall of the web 4 is provided with a tapering or inclinedsurface 8, against which is fitted a master-ring 9, having an inclinedor tapering inner surface. IVithin the master-ring 9 is fitted a ring10, the inner diameter of which corresponds to the outer diameter of thecommutator, to the necks of which the solder is to be applied. Asindicated, the necks 11 of the commutator-bars 12 rest upon the ring 10,and the commutatorbody and the corresponding end of the shaftprojectdown into the interior of the cylinder 1. The armature 1 1 andits shaft and commutator may be placed in the position shown by means ofa suitable crane, the lifting-hook 15 of whichis connected to one end ofthe shaft 13 by any suitable connecting device 16.

The solder 17 to be applied to the commutator-necks 11 is contained in apot 18, between which and the basin 5 is a channel 19, having a bottomthat is slightly inclined clownw'ardly from the basin to the pot, andthe latter is surrounded by a casing 20, within which is a flame formaintaining the solder in a molten condition. This flame, as shown, issupplied by a gas-burner 21, which is located below the pot 18. In orderto cause the molten solder to flow to and from the basin 5, I provide aplunger 22 and suspend it from a lever 23, one end of which is pivotallysupported by a rod or bar 24: and the other end of which has a handle 25and a pawl 26. The

bar 23 extends between two parallel grooved arms 27, one of which isprovided with ratchetteeth 28 in position to be engaged by the pawl 26,so that the plunger may be lowered notch by notch and fastened in anyposition desired in order to secure the desired level of molten solderin the basin 5. The plunger 22 is shown in an artificial position, whichmay be maintained only by the operator or by a tempo.- rary supportingdevice, that is not shown in the drawings. The pawl 26 and ratchet-teeth28 are employed solely to lock the plunger in the various positions towhich it may be adjusted against the upward pressure of the moltensolder when partially submerged therein.

The plunger 22 may be heated before it is inserted into the moltensolder in the pot 18, if desired,by means of a gas-burner 29, located ina cavity therein and supplied with gas through a flexible pipe 30,though this is not an essential feature of the method.

it will be understood that the parts to be solderedthat is to say, theends of the armature-leads and the portions of the commutator-necks towhich said ends are to be mechanically attached are first tinned, andthen the said parts are assembled in proper relation. The armature isthen placed'in the position indicated in the drawings and allowed toremain in that position until the flame from the burner 7 has raised thetemperature of the parts to be soldered,and also the surroundingportions of the apparatus, to the proper temperature for insuring thedesired union between the solder and the tinned parts. When thistemperature has been attained,the plunger 22 is depressed into the bodyof molten solder 17, thus forcing a portion of the same through thechannel 19 into the basin 5 until the portions to be soldered aresubstantially submerged in the molten solder. The apparatus is thenpermitted to stand a few moments until the solder has penetrated thespaces between the armature-leads and the adjacent portions of thenecks, and then the plunger is raised to permit the surplus solder toflow back from the basin 5 into the pot 18, and the armature is removed,another substituted, and the operation above described repeated.

If the commutator-necks are separated by solid insulation only, theapparatus above described is all that is necessary for practicing themethod; but if adjacent necks are separated by air-spaces it may bedesirable to insert temporary wedges 31 in said spaces and to cover suchportions of the spaces as are not filled by said wedges by a ring 32, ofasbestos or other refractory material, in order to exelude the solderfrom those parts which are not intended to be directly united, as I haveindicated in Fig. 2.

As has already been suggested, the parts to be soldered may be submergedin molten solder by the use of means different from what is shown, iffound desirable or convenient, and it will also be understood that theinvention may be applied to other apparatus than that here illustratedand specifically described, since the invention is applicable tosoldering a number of parts simultaneously and effectively irrespectiveof the particular use to which they may be subsequently applied.

1 claim as my invention 1. The method of soldering armature-leads to thenecks of commutator-bars which consists in first applying heat to theassembled leads and necks, then subjecting them simultaneously to a bathof molten solder and at the same time maintaining the applied heat andfinally withdrawing the surplus solder without disturbing the solderedstructure.

2. The method of soldering armature-leads to the necks ofcommutator-bars which consists in first heating the assembled parts,then applying a body of molten solder to all of said partssimultaneously without interrupting the heat or changing the location ofsaid parts and finally withdrawing the surplus solder without disturbingthe soldered structure.

3. The method of soldering armature-leads to commutator-bars whichconsists in first heating the parts to be soldered, then subjecting allthe parts to be soldered simultaneously to a bath of molten solder andat the same time maintaining the applied heat and finally removing thesurplus solder without disturbing the soldered structure.

,4. The method of soldering a number of mechanically-combinedparts whichconsists in primarily heating them and then simultaneously submergingthem in molten solder without interrupting the applied heat and withoutchanging their location, maintaining said condition until the soldereffects the desired union and then withdrawing the surplus solderwithout disturbing the soldered structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day ofOctober,

JACOB BEECH. Witnesses:

GEO. L. DOBERNECK, JAMns B. YOUNG.

